The present invention relates to a dispenser of granular material in predetermined doses.
Material in the form of granules, such as dry pet food or washing powder, is usually metered and dispensed using a graduated cup with which a user scoops out granular material from an already-opened bag.
Metering is performed somewhat approximately because the cup can pick up an amount of granular material which is greater than or less than the required dose. The content of the cup then has to be adjusted either by tipping out some granular material or topping it up.
Furthermore, when it is a question of dispensing dry pet food, the user""s fingers come into contact with the pet food. This is greasy and often forces the user to wash his or her hands after this operation.
In addition, the action of the cup in the food causes the food to be churned around and become oxygenated and oxidized in the air.
This type of dispensing is therefore somewhat impractical, gives poor repeatability of doses of product for dispensing and is rather unhygienic.
The present invention therefore sets out to overcome these drawbacks by supplying a dispenser for granular material which is easy to handle.
Furthermore, the invention supplies a dispenser that allows predetermined doses to be dispensed with excellent repeatability.
Finally, the invention provides a dispenser which allows the product for dispensing to be stored under hygienic conditions.
According to the invention, the dispenser for granular material comprises:
an upper part forming a reservoir intended to store the granular material,
a lower part forming a base supporting a metering device, the upper and lower parts of the dispenser being separated by a horizontal wall comprising a flow window.
The metering device comprises:
a closure member that can move between an adjustable open position in which the granular material can flow through the flow window into a removable receptacle and a closed position in which the closure member closes off the flow window,
the movement of the closure member between the passing position and the closed position being achieved by pulling effected on the receptacle, said receptacle being rendered temporarily secured to the closure member during the movement between these two positions,
the movement of the closure member between the closed position and the passing position being achieved by a push effected on the receptacle, the receptacle being equipped with means forming a stop coming to bear against the closure member.
This dispenser is therefore particularly simple to use because its use requires just two handling operations to be performed. On the one hand, the user pulls on the receptacle to remove it from the dispenser, the receptacle being filled with a prescribed dose of granular material. On the other hand, having emptied the receptacle of its dose of granular material, the user pushes on the receptacle to put it back in position in the dispenser. This dispenser is therefore particularly easy to operate.
According to a first embodiment of the dispenser, the receptacle is equipped with at least one rack able to collaborate with at least one tab secured to the closure member supporting a tooth, the tab being able to move between a position in which it engages in each rack, thus securing the closure member and the receptacle, and a second position in which the tab becomes effaced against a ramp disconnecting the receptacle from the closure member.
Securing the receptacle and the closure member makes it possible, by pulling on the receptacle, to move the closure member from the open position in which the granular material flows into the receptacle through the flow window into the position in which the flow window is closed off by the closure member. Disconnection allows the receptacle to be released so that the dose with which it is filled can be emptied out.
Advantageously, the racks are situated on the longitudinal edges of the receptacle.
Advantageously, the receptacle is equipped with ribs sliding in slots formed on the horizontal wall.
According to a second embodiment of the dispenser, the receptacle is equipped with at least one rack complementing at least two toothed segments which are arranged on each of the flanks of the closure member parallel to the axis of movement thereof, the toothed segments being able to move between a position in which they protrude beyond the flanks of the closure member and mesh in the racks of the receptacle thus securing the closure member and the receptacle, and a second position in which the toothed segments retract into the closure member thus disconnecting the receptacle from the closure member.
Advantageously, two rigid rods are arranged inside the closure member more or less along its diagonals, each being able to move in rotation with respect to the point of intersection of the diagonals and kept apart by elastic means, each being equipped at one of its ends with a toothed segment and at the other of its ends, protruding beyond the closure member, with an unlocking stud capable of becoming effaced inside the closure member against a bearing surface so as, through a scissors effect, to cause the toothed segments to retract.
The rigid rods allow the closure member and the receptacle to be secured together reversibly through a scissors effect.
In one advantageous embodiment of the invention, the rods are held apart by at least one leaf spring.
According to various features that the dispenser according to the invention might have:
the receptacle slides in a corridor formed in the lower part of the dispenser, the vertical walls of this corridor acting as a bearing surface for the ramps protruding beyond the closure member,
the closure member is equipped with lateral lugs that complement grooves formed in the lower part of the dispenser,
the closure member is equipped with a bearing arm extending at right angles to one of its flanks and able to come to bear against an adjustable surface.
In one embodiment of the adjustment of the position of the closure member, a flexible strip sliding in translation parallel to the direction of travel of the closure member has a stop against which the arm comes to bear.
The position of the closure member can thus be adjusted in an extremely simple way.
According to a first alternative form, the strip has a toothed edge in which a toothed wheel engages, rotation of the wheel causing translational movement of the strip.
According to a second alternative form of embodiment, the strip has a slider protruding from a slot formed in the wall of the reservoir and allowing it to be slid.
In a second embodiment of the adjustment of the position of the closure member, an endless screw, which can be turned by a knurled knob is arranged in the lower part of the dispenser, parallel to the axis of travel of the closure member, the endless screw taking a floating nut against which the bearing arm of the closure member butts.
Adjusting the position of the nut makes it possible to vary the position of the closure member with respect to the opening and therefore makes it possible to vary the dose of granular material that is to be withdrawn.
Advantageously, the end of the closure member facing the receptacle has an inclined plane and allows the granular material to be made to flow back toward the reservoir when the closure member is moved from the position of closure of the flow window to the position in which the flow window is open.
Advantageously, the receptacle is equipped with two bosses which come to bear against the closure member when a pushing action is exerted on the receptacle, so as to bring the closure member from the position of closure to the position in which the flow window is open at the end of the push, the bosses becoming housed in slots formed in the closure member.
The bosses with which the receptacle is equipped allow the closure member to be pushed back into the position in which the flow window is open.
Advantageously, a hopper having flanks which converge toward an opening, is arranged inside the reservoir.
The hopper, because of its converging shape, allows the granular material to all be discharged toward the flow window.
Advantageously, the side of the opening of the hopper or of the flow window is equipped with a rubber blade making it possible to prevent the granular material from becoming wedged between the closure member and the edge of the opening of the hopper.
For a good understanding thereof, the invention is described hereinafter depicting, by way of examples, several embodiments of the dispenser according to the invention.